Swatara creek smallmouth numbers

[jkilroy]

Just wondering if anyone knows if the Swatara creek holds good numbers smallmouth bass. If it does, I'm not seeing it. Then again, they may be in areas that are not accessible by wading. I waded the area around Middletown yesterday and only got 4 small ones on a crayfish.

I've tried to wade fish the swatty for several years a few times in the summer and never did all that well. I love smallie fishing, but don't like to go out and only catch a few. I'd like to find a good place to go for them.

 

[wgmiller]

Hummelstown/Hershey area. Duke St.

 

[Swattie87]

I've generally found the Swatara to be a good numbers stream but not a ton of big fish. I was out this weekend and struggled. What kind of water were you fishing? By this time in Summer they're out of the frog water and in the deeper, faster runs with current, especially where there's boulders. Look for more traditional "Trout water", that's where they'll be.

 

[wgmiller]

Ditto Swattie.

 

[jkilroy]

I was fishing the deeper faster runs on the soft edges.

 

[brain]

the swatara is much more fun in the middle section, if you plan for panfish and treat the bass as an extra. there are some nice fish in the creek, but they didn't get that size by being dumb.
these days there is more pressure on the creek than i have ever seen. this year has been even more challenging what with the rain every week and the constant off color state....some of which i feel is in part to the pipeline construction north of annville which is crossing under/through the creek.